determine

/dɪˈtʌrmɪn/

/dɪˈtʌmɪn/

Other forms: determined; determining; determines

If you determine something, you figure it out or settle a question, like when, after checking paws and hands, you determine that it's not the dog that ate your candy stash, but your kid sister.

Determine comes from the Latin for "bring to a close," and when you determine something, you have closed all the questions you have about it and are quite sure you know the answer. If you become a detective, you'll have to determine who did the crime. After working through a mathematical problem, you determine the value of X. Determine can also mean influence. Your childhood spent in your grandmother's delightful kitchen might have determined your future career as a baker.

Definitions of determine

1. verb

   find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort
   synonyms: ascertain, check, find out, learn, see, watch

   ascertain, assure, check, control, ensure, insure, see, see to it

   be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something

   ascertain, find, find out

   establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

   types:

   test

   determine the presence or properties of (a substance)
2. verb

   establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
   synonyms: ascertain, find, find out

   ascertain, check, find out, learn, see, watch

   find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort

   discover, find

   make a discovery, make a new finding

   types:

   gauge

   determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation

   translate

   determine the amino-acid sequence of a protein during its synthesis by using information on the messenger RNA

   rectify

   math: determine the length of

   redetermine

   fix, find, or establish again

   sequence

   determine the order of constituents in

   refract

   determine the refracting power of (a lens)

   count, enumerate, number, numerate

   determine the number or amount of

   admeasure

   determine the quantity of someone's share

   locate, situate

   determine or indicate the place, site, or limits of, as if by an instrument or by a survey

   recount

   count again

   miscount

   count wrongly

   census

   conduct a census

   add, add together, add up, sum, sum up, summate, tally, tot, tot up, total, tote up

   determine the sum of

   acquire

   locate (a moving entity) by means of a tracking system such as radar

   radiolocate

   locate by means of radar

   map

   locate within a specific region of a chromosome in relation to known DNA or gene sequences

   localise, localize, place

   identify the location or place of

   base

   situate as a center of operations
3. verb

   shape or influence; give direction to
   “experience often determines ability”

   synonyms: influence, mold, regulate, shape

   types:

   dispose, incline

   make receptive or willing towards an action or attitude or belief

   disincline, indispose

   make unwilling

   miscreate

   shape or form or make badly

   carry weight

   have influence to a specified degree

   decide

   influence or determine

   reshape

   shape anew or differently

   time

   set the speed, duration, or execution of

   index

   adjust through indexation

   pace

   regulate or set the pace of

   predetermine

   determine beforehand

   predispose

   make susceptible

   foreordain, predestine, preordain

   foreordain or determine beforehand

   foreordain, predestinate, predestine

   foreordain by divine will or decree

   type of:

   cause, do, make

   give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
4. verb

   reach, make, or come to a decision about something
   synonyms: decide, make up one's mind

   types:

   measure, measure out, mensurate

   determine the measurements of something or somebody, take measurements of

   choose, pick out, select, take

   pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

   will

   determine by choice

   seal

   decide irrevocably

   purpose, resolve

   reach a decision

   decree, rule

   decide with authority

   orient, orientate

   determine one's position with reference to another point

   adjudicate, judge, try

   put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of

   govern, order, regularise, regularize, regulate

   bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations

   standardise, standardize

   cause to conform to standard or norm

   empanel, impanel, panel

   select from a list

   shoot

   measure the altitude of by using a sextant

   triangulate

   measure by using trigonometry

   caliper, calliper

   measure the diameter of something with calipers

   anoint

   choose by or as if by divine intervention

   field

   select (a team or individual player) for a game

   sieve, sift

   distinguish and separate out

   draw

   select or take in from a given group or region

   dial

   choose by means of a dial

   go, plump

   give support (to) or make a choice (of) one out of a group or number

   pick

   select carefully from a group

   elect

   choose

   excerpt, extract, take out

   take out of a literary work in order to cite or copy

   cull out, winnow

   select desirable parts from a group or list

   cream off, skim off

   pick the best

   pick over, sieve out

   separate or remove

   assign, set apart, specify

   select something or someone for a specific purpose

   single out

   select from a group

   override, overrule, overthrow, overturn, reverse

   disagree with a lawyer's objection and allow the opposing side to go ahead with a line of questioning

   think of

   choose in one's mind

   calibrate

   measure the caliber of

   define, fix, limit, set, specify

   decide upon or fix definitely

   rule in, rule out

   include or exclude by determining judicially or in agreement with rules

   guide, guide on

   use as a guide

   reorient, reorientate

   orient once again, after a disorientation

   adopt, espouse, follow

   choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans

   screen, screen out, sieve, sort

   examine in order to test suitability

   vote in

   elect in a voting process

   elect

   select by a vote for an office or membership

   nominate, propose

   put forward; nominate for appointment to an office or for an honor or position

   vote

   express one's preference for a candidate or for a measure or resolution; cast a vote

   court-martial

   subject to trial by court-martial

   district, zone

   regulate housing in; of certain areas of towns
5. verb

   settle conclusively; come to terms
   synonyms: settle, square off, square up

   types:

   clear, solve

   settle, as of a debt

   concert

   settle by agreement

   clinch

   settle conclusively

   compromise

   settle by concession

   type of:

   conclude, resolve

   reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation
6. verb

   fix conclusively or authoritatively
   synonyms: set

   types:

   identify, place

   recognize as being; establish the identity of someone or something

   date

   assign a date to; determine the (probable) date of

   value

   fix or determine the value of; assign a value to

   filiate

   fix the paternity of

   format

   determine the arrangement of (data) for storage and display (in computer science)

   charge

   set or ask for a certain price

   initialise, initialize

   assign an initial value to a computer program

   assess, tax

   set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)

   price

   determine the price of

   chronologise, chronologize

   establish the order in time of something

   misdate

   assign the wrong date to

   differentiate, distinguish, secern, secernate, separate, severalise, severalize, tell, tell apart

   mark as different

   overestimate, overvalue

   assign too high a value to

   underestimate, undervalue

   assign too low a value to

   float

   allow (currencies) to fluctuate

   mark up

   increase the price of

   manipulate, rig

   manipulate in a fraudulent manner

   overprice

   price excessively high

   underquote

   offer for sale at a price lower than the market price
7. verb

   decide upon or fix definitely
   synonyms: define, fix, limit, set, specify

   types:

   quantify

   use as a quantifier

   name

   mention and identify by name

   reset

   set anew

   define

   give a definition for the meaning of a word

   redefine

   give a new or different definition of (a word)

   type of:

   choose, pick out, select, take

   pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
8. verb

   fix in scope; fix the boundaries of
   “the tree determines the border of the property”

   types:

   nail down, narrow, narrow down, peg down, pin down, specify

   define clearly

   concretise, concretize

   make something concrete

   type of:

   define, delimit, delimitate, delineate, specify

   determine the essential quality of